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Auction: 24019 - Stamps and Covers of Great Britain
Lot: 1020

(x) Great Britain
Merchant Mail
Incoming
From France
1600 (19 Sept.) entire Fugger letter from Bernard Le Leu and Jacques Le Clercy in Calais to Bartolomeo Corsini in London, endorsed "Porto" (you pay) and "19" in sender's hand alongside "½" in separate hand, with "10" waybill number on reverse seemingly in the same hand, most likely in Calais by the Fugger Post; the receiver's note gives the arrival in London of 22 Sept. Fine and most unusual Fugger post letter as opposed to Merchant Adventurers.

Notes: The Fugger family were a successful European merchant family that traded in spices, silks and woollens, by the 1500s they were also major financiers. The Fugger family establish a network of posts throughout Europe, linking the Thurn & Taxis, Venetian and Italian posts.

Interestingly this letter was sent ten days before two Merchant Adventurers letters sent on the 29 Sept. arriving after eight days, and Monday and Tuesday 23 and 24 Oct. arriving together after six and five days. Very few Fugger letters are known coming to England.

literature:
'The Corsini Letter', Philip Beale, Adrian Almond and Mike Scott Archer, Page 169-170, illustrated as figure 28

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£250

Starting price
£200